


You Meet the Most Interesting People at 2AM

by Dont_touch_the_phlebotinum



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Human Loki, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2015-01-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 03:07:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2797328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dont_touch_the_phlebotinum/pseuds/Dont_touch_the_phlebotinum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't the greatest trade-off for Loki, escaping New York City and his father's ambitions only to end up working at his brother's diner in the middle of nowhere. Or it hadn't been, at least, until a freak storm led a handsome stranger to his doorstep.<br/>Perhaps the night shift wasn't so bad after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The patter of rain pelting the dirt and an ominous rumble of thunder in the distance drowned out the sound of Loki's cigarette lighter clicking on and off between his fingers. He'd been sat outside for two minutes at most and already his hands were getting numb. He tucked the hand clutching his lighter between his thighs, the other bringing his cigarette to his lips for a long drag as the sky lit up and a crash of thunder quickly followed. The storm was getting closer.

He should just close up and go home. The night shift at his brother's diner was always dead, perhaps two or three people driving through the night stopping off for a cup of coffee to see them through until morning if Loki was lucky, though nobody would be stepping through the door tonight. There were only a few things that would cause anyone to venture out in this weather, and the urge for bad diner food at almost 2a.m. was certainly not one of them.

Loki didn't know why Thor insisted on keeping the place open 24 hours. Back in New York it was nothing out of the ordinary to grab a quick bite to eat in the middle of the night, but here? He wasn't sure a town this small even counted as civilisation.

The wind shifted, sending raindrops splashing in Loki's direction, and he pushed himself back further under the covered entryway to avoid the spray with a scowl. He huffed while he reclaimed the cigarette between his lips and glanced from the dark skies to the empty booths inside the diner. It wasn't as if he'd be able to get any sleep in the tin can he called home if he did close up for the night. One hard gust of wind would probably blow the damned trailer over, and Loki had no desire to be inside the thing if it did.

His eyes flicked down at his watch, the dial illuminated by another flash of lightning. Only five and a half hours left until Thor would arrive and he could leave. It was going to be a long night.

Loki had just blown another pillar of smoke into the air when he spotted a shadow moving towards him. As it grew closer, the light pouring through the windows revealed it to be a man, no older than Loki himself by the looks of it, and sporting just a pair of jeans that had seen better days and a thoroughly sodden t-shirt.

"Hi," he called over the noise when he was close enough to be heard. He curled in on himself as closely as he could to shield himself against the driving rain – not that it was doing him much good. It didn't look like he could get any wetter. Clearly he'd been wandering around outside for a while. "Don't suppose you got a phone I could use, do you?"

With pursed lips Loki studied the man for a second while he considered whether to be annoyed by the disturbance or pleased to have a brief distraction from his boredom. He nodded his head, flicking his cigarette butt into the dirt while he got up off the front step, and the man smiled in relief before following Loki inside.

"The phone's that way."

"Thanks." He headed in the direction Loki had pointed, and Loki crossed the room, careful to avoid the trail of water the man had dripped on the tiled floor, to clear away his things from his favourite booth.

Well, calling it his favourite was something of a stretch. It was simply the one booth in the modest room that was both far enough from the door to escape the draught and which still had fully intact, almost comfortable, once Loki found the right position, seating; the sickly green vinyl free from cracks or rips and the foam beneath not picked at by swathes of idle hands. It served as a kind of nest while Loki waited for the next patron to shuffle through the front door.

He slid the book he'd been thumbing through behind the counter and was just pouring himself out a fresh mug of coffee when the man returned. That was fast. Perhaps Loki would be able to get back to his night of solitude sooner rather than later.

But he couldn't say he'd mind if this one stayed a while. Even looking like a drowned rat he was unquestionably easy on the eye, and Loki's book hadn't captured his interest nearly as much as a handsome man could. Especially since they were so hard to come by in this town.

"Did you manage to contact who you needed to?"

He shook his head. "You'd think this time of night people would actually be around to answer the phone," he said with a shrug. He was surprisingly relaxed, considering how badly his night must have been going.

"It's not an emergency, is it?"

"Nah. Just my piece of junk car picking one hell of a time to crap out on me." He gave a weary smile and unfolded his arms to push his hair back from where it was plastered against his forehead. The movement revealed the hint of a well-muscled physique beneath the t-shirt clinging to his chest.

Loki forced his gaze away to the counter. "Can I get you something to eat?" he said, if only to provide some distraction from his urge to admire the view. It was possibly the first time in the few months he'd been here that he'd actually asked that question willingly. Thor would be so proud to see his customer service skills finally improving.

"Thanks, but I don't really have a whole lot of cash on me."

"On the house."

He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Well I don't think any of it can really be considered food, so I'm not sure we have the right to charge you for it anyway."

His brother had inherited their mother's natural talent for cooking, as the last decade of veritable feasts come Christmas and Thanksgiving would attest, though apparently the residents of this town had decided life here was so miserable the best way to escape was by eating their way to a heart attack at age 45, and Thor was content to cater to their desires. Loki was hardly a health food freak, yet he was still struck by a wave of revulsion every time he served up one of the giant portions of greasy food the diner was beloved for.

"All right," the man chuckled as he took a seat in the booth Loki had just vacated. "I'll take a slice of pie."

"Coffee?"

He nodded. "Please." He smiled in thanks when Loki returned with his things a moment later.

Loki left him to it, perching on one of the stools at the counter and gulping down a mouthful of his own too-bitter coffee as another peal of thunder rattled the windows. Surely the storm wasn't going to last much longer, was it? He'd been hoping that if the place stayed quiet he'd be able to at least catnap until Thor turned up in the morning. It would never happen in this racket.

"You know, this pie ain't half bad."

He glanced from the windows down to the man happily scooping up another forkful. "You're a braver man than I for trying it," Loki said, and he grinned in response.

"So do you own this place?"

"My brother does."

"That's how you get lumped with the graveyard shift, huh?"

That and his sterling customer service skills. But it wasn't so bad, despite the constant thought that instead of being huddled up in a booth that squeaked every time he moved on the off chance someone might have a sudden craving for waffles in the middle of the night, he could be curled in a slightly more comfortable bed. At least it was usually quiet.

"Is it always this busy?" the man said while he gazed around the deserted room.

"No-one's foolish enough to come out in this. Frankly, it's a little suspicious that you were wandering around out there."

"Hey, I'm the one living out the first ten minutes of every bad horror movie I've ever seen, buddy." He gave an exaggerated shudder and Loki chuckled as he moved to sit down in the seat opposite him. "I promise I won't try to kill you if you don't try to kill me."

"That sounds fair."

The man held out his hand and as Loki shook it to seal their deal, said, "I'm Bucky."

"Loki."

"Nice to meet you," Bucky replied with a warm smile that stretched all the way up to his eyes, before they flicked to the window when another flash of lightning lit up the sodden parking area out front. The thunder that followed reverberated through Loki's body and he curled in on himself. The storm had to be directly above them now. "I wouldn't have figured you got a lot of rain out here in the desert."

"This is the first storm I've seen in the time I've been here. People will probably be talking about it for days."

There certainly wasn't anything more interesting to talk about.

Loki would never understand the appeal of living in a town so small. For Thor, it was a paradise; the kind of place where he knew every resident by name and couldn't walk fifty feet without stopping for a conversation with each person he passed. Loki, on the other hand, was more the type to favour meeting a handsome stranger for one wild night of adventure he'd remember for years to come, and then never seeing that person again. It was a hard thing to find around here.

"You been here long?"

"About three months." Bucky was still watching him with interest when Loki turned his gaze from the droplets of water trickling down the window pane, more curious to hear Loki's story than discover more about weather patterns in the Southwest. "I used to live in New York."

"Oh yeah? I'm from Brooklyn myself."

Loki had guessed as much. He'd recognise that accent anywhere. "You're a long way from home."

Bucky nodded while he swallowed his last mouthful of pie and washed it down with some coffee. Without prompting, Loki topped up his mug again. It wasn't as if he'd be going anywhere soon.

"Just passing through," he said. "So is there anything to do in town while I'm here?"

"No."

His eyebrow quirked again, amusement shining in his eyes. "That much, huh? They should put that in the brochure."

A smile had barely made its way to Loki's face when it swiftly disappeared as the lights flickered. They were back to normal within a few seconds, yet Loki's eyes stayed on the fluorescent bulbs, daring them to go out again. At the next tiny flicker, he dropped his temple into his waiting palm. "Oh, please don't tell me the power's about to go out as well," he said wearily. "This damned weather."

He had to say, though, the company almost made it worthwhile.

"Not a big fan of thunderstorms, I take it?"

"Not typically," replied Loki while he glanced up to meet Bucky's eyes again. "I used to hide under my mother's bed until she would come and tell me it was over."

The recollection took him by surprise. Where had that outburst even come from? He often thought of his mother, though fond reminiscing was something else entirely. The only other time in recent years he could remember her even being mentioned was–

The night he'd told his father he was leaving Manhattan. He could still hear his father's words echoing through his mind as if he was stood at Loki's side bellowing them all over again. Though he supposed that, painful as it was, it was still far more pleasant to think of his mother in this situation than it had been in that one.

Bucky's smile had been growing steadily more sympathetic as he'd been sat watching Loki's face. "She's not around anymore?" he said quietly.

"No."

"I'm sorry."

Loki shook his head, simultaneously dismissing Bucky's consideration and trying to rid himself of the sentiment gripping him. It was a silly thing to get emotional over all of a sudden. He was being absurd. He couldn't even speak about their mother with Thor, let alone a man he'd known some fifteen minutes at most. "It was a long time ago," he shrugged.

"I lost my folks, too," said Bucky. His eyes were still kind as they remained fixed on Loki's, almost encouraging him to spill every tragic and sordid detail of his life, without fear of judgement. It was somewhat tempting. "It's rough."

That it most certainly was. But Loki just offered Bucky a tiny nod in response before tearing his eyes from Bucky's lest he act on his impulse to just keep on talking. "More coffee?" he said as he picked up the coffee pot they'd drained and slid from the booth.

"Yeah; sounds great." Bucky followed Loki across the room, claiming the stool closest to the coffee machine while Loki rounded the counter to start making another pot. They were quiet for a moment, Loki concentrating on what he was doing and trying not to glance up at the reflection of Bucky watching him, until Bucky spoke again.

"Don't take this the wrong way or anything," he started, and Loki shot him a wary look, "but you don't exactly look like the kind of person you'd expect to find working in a diner in the middle of nowhere."

"I suppose I don't." And there it was again, his urge to just tell Bucky everything there was to know about himself. He never usually divulged any information he didn't need to, and while Bucky didn't seem the type to push it if Loki left the conversation there, he sat with genuine interest on his face while he waited for Loki to continue. Perhaps this was what he'd been missing since his mother's death: a rapt audience.

"I was supposed to go to work for my father's company," Loki said.

"Sounds like you had a lot of say in the matter."

Bucky wrapped his hands around his mug tightly as Loki poured out another steaming helping of coffee. His bare forearms were still covered in goosebumps, and Loki reached to turn up the temperature on the space heater beneath the counter.

"Until I decided to drop out of business school and followed my brother out here. My father loved that."

He couldn't help but smile at the thought. Part of him almost wished his younger brother Balder would follow in his and Thor's footsteps as well and come running across the country to escape their father's ambitions when it was inevitably his turn to inherit the company. Now that would be a real kick in the teeth.

"Is this it for you, then?"

Goodness, he hoped not. Just the idea of being stuck here for the rest of his life was depressing enough for him to strongly consider reaching for the plate of pie on the display stand beside him and getting to work on his own premature heart attack. "No," he said emphatically. Whatever horror-struck expression the thought must have brought to his face raised a laugh from Bucky in response. "This is just until I work out my next step."

"How's that going?"

"Slowly."

If he was honest, Loki had no idea what he wanted. For as long as he could remember it had simply been a given fact that he would go on to work for his father, and even when Thor had run away from the responsibility of taking over the company, he'd been so consumed with celebration at being entrusted with the position himself that he didn't stop to question why Thor would shy away from it, or consider whether or not it was actually something he had any desire for. But surely he would realise what kind of life he wanted to lead eventually, wouldn't he?

"Well," he said, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the countertop while Bucky lowered his mug from his lips and gave Loki his full attention, "I think you now know more about me than nearly everybody I know."

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "No kidding?"

"And I still know next to nothing about you."

He unfolded his arms and held his hands out in an open gesture – and if Loki's eyes flicked down to his t-shirt still almost translucent in places where it was plastered to his chest, it was only for an instant. "What do you want to know?"

If Bucky was seeing anybody, for one thing. If he was even interested in men, and Loki wasn't sensing a hint of flirtation where there was only simple politeness, for another. But he played it safe and instead asked, "what do you for a living?"

"Right now, not a lot," Bucky replied. He ran his fingers through his damp hair again, pushing away the strands that had dropped back against his forehead, before continuing. "Had a bit of money saved up, and I figured, there's so much I wanna do; I don't want to die before I get the chance to do any of it."

He looked far too young to be worrying about squeezing in as many life experiences as he could before he died, and with the aura of boyish charm he gave off, death seemed like the last thing that should be on his mind. But then, Loki had been stood there just minutes ago plotting to eat himself to cardiac arrest, so perhaps it wasn't such a strange thing for Bucky to think about.

"And that's what brought you here," Loki said.

"That's what brought me here."

"I must say, if seizing every moment was the aim of this venture, you didn't pick the best town to pass through."

"I dunno," Bucky replied with a shrug. "I've enjoyed it so far."

Well that had to be flirtation, didn't it? The way Bucky was smiling at Loki, only the narrow countertop between them, as they met each other's eyes certainly supported that idea. Though before Loki could make a potentially idiotic move and close the distance between them, a shiver wracked Bucky's body.

"You know, my brother probably has a shirt that will fit you, if you want to dry that one off."

"Would you mind?"

"I don't think he'll be needing it tonight." Loki jerked his head in the direction of the front door and Bucky followed him back out into the night.

The rain was coming down even harder now, and the pair huddled under the shelter for a moment to steel themselves for the dash around the side of the building to the trailer parked behind it. They were both dripping wet by the time they'd dived inside. Bucky slammed the door shut behind them and glanced around the trailer while Loki fetched him a towel. It wouldn't take him long to study the cramped space.

"This is your brother's as well?" he said.

Loki nodded as he crossed back through the kitchen area to join Bucky. "He was essentially living with his girlfriend already when I arrived, so he said I could stay here. It's not quite the penthouse overlooking Central Park, I know."

"I like it," said Bucky as he tugged his t-shirt over his head. "It's cosy."

That was one word for it. Though Loki was a little distracted by the muscled torso on display in front of him to think up an intelligent response. He forced his eyes back up to Bucky's face before he could catch Loki staring, and as his gaze travelled up Bucky's chest it landed on the set of dog tags dangling from a long chain around his neck. He couldn't make out what was imprinted on them, but they looked like the real deal rather than a fashion accessory.

"You're in the military?" Loki said, swapping the towel in his hand for Bucky's wet t-shirt, and Bucky's eyes flicked down to the chain as well, as if it had taken him a moment to realise how Loki had guessed.

"Army, yeah – well, I used to be," he replied. He ran a finger along the chain as he spoke, his other hand pressing the towel against his damp stomach, the metal tags clinking together lightly with the movement. "Kinda got used to having 'em on all the time. But I guess you gotta remember where you came from, right?"

Loki shrugged. "I don't know. Surely no-one would ever want to get away from where they came from if it was something worth remembering."

"It shapes who you are."

"Is that always a good thing?"

Bucky raised an eyebrow as he considered that and tilted his head in Loki's direction. "Got a point, there," he said. He was still dabbing himself dry when Loki finished wringing out his t-shirt into the sink and draped it over the tap to dry out, resting his hip against the counter as he turned back to Bucky and spoke again.

"So, did your time in the army shape you for the better?"

The question brought a smile to Bucky's face, yet there was something hollow in the expression. It was probably a similar look to the one Bucky had seen on Loki's face when their conversation had turned to his mother.

"Definitely not," he said as he stared down at his hands holding the towel pressed against his lower belly. With a blink to shake away whatever thoughts had been on his mind, Bucky's eyes were back on Loki's and some life had returned to his features. "But sometimes that's worth remembering, too."

Loki nodded and moved closer to take the towel from Bucky's hands. He didn't move away again afterwards. "I think I agree with you," he said.

Bucky reached for the t-shirt of Thor's Loki had tossed onto the small dining table, though he made no attempt to put it on yet. And Loki would be happy for it to stay that way.

"Do you have somewhere to stay tonight?"

"I'll figure something out," Bucky said, his carefree smile back in place.

"There's a bed here, if you want it," Loki went on, glancing back at the lumpy mattress separated from the other two thirds of the trailer by a thin folding door. "It's not a particularly comfortable one, but still."

Bucky's smile morphed into a sly grin. "I doubt I'd be doing much sleeping on it, anyway."

"We have drunk rather a lot of coffee," Loki replied smoothly, fighting the urge to grin himself. They were definitely far past the point of friendliness now.

"Exactly. I'll probably be wide awake for the rest of the night."

"Good."

He leant forward to meet Bucky's lips, soft and warm against his own, and his hand slid along Bucky's cheek as Bucky gripped Loki's hips in turn. As his lips parted for Loki's tongue his fingers dug in to Loki's skin to pull him closer until their bodies were pressed flush against each other and the faint scent of bodywash that the rain hadn't quite washed from Bucky's skin filled Loki's nose. He didn't even bother to break their kiss before he was tugging Bucky back towards the bed.

That might not have been Loki's greatest idea. He'd thought he knew the layout of the tiny trailer well enough by now to navigate it without looking, but from the cupboard edge colliding with his hip and the boxes of his possessions there was no storage space for stacked in the narrow gangway that he would have gone tumbling over if not for Bucky's steadying hands on him, he'd greatly overestimated his familiarity with the place. By the time he and Bucky had dropped down onto the bed, their kiss had dissolved into soft laughter.

"Not my most graceful moment," Loki said, though he didn't have long to feel embarrassed – Bucky's mouth was at the side of his neck as soon as he'd finished his sentence, sucking open mouthed kisses along Loki's skin while his free hand slipped under Loki's shirt and inched its way up his stomach. Loki's blood was flowing south already.

And he wasn't the only one. Bucky pushed himself closer, his thigh covering Loki's crotch and his own pressed firmly enough against Loki's hip for him to feel Bucky's growing hardness through his jeans. He had to bite his lip to suppress a groan when Bucky began to rub himself against Loki, and his own hips moved as well, seeking out the friction Bucky's thigh offered. It went some of the way to relieving his rapidly increasing arousal, though it wasn't nearly enough.

He rolled them over until Bucky was lying on his back, a breathless grin on his face as Loki sank down and claimed his mouth again; tasting the coffee on his tongue; breathing in his scent; their hands brushing over every inch of one another's bodies they could reach. Loki had never had much patience for this part – it was enjoyable, certainly, but as foreplay went, there were better ways to get him worked up before the main event – though with Bucky he would be content to lie there like this for a good while longer.

But instead he moved down to rest between Bucky's legs, his lips trailing along Bucky's firm chest, over tiny scars and what looked disturbingly like an old gunshot wound, until he reached the hemline of his jeans. As much as Loki would have loved to slowly peel Bucky's clothes off and acquaint himself with every bit of flesh he revealed, with his cock uncomfortably hard within his own jeans, he just needed this part over with as quickly as possible. He pushed himself up to his knees and tugged his t-shirt over his head while Bucky got to work tearing his own clothes off as well.

The moment Loki had unzipped his jeans Bucky was leaning forward to mouth at Loki's erection through the fabric of his boxer shorts. It did make it something of a challenge to push his clothes down his thighs, but he had no intention of telling Bucky to stop, not when his tongue was rubbing against the tip of Loki's cock, warm and wet even through the cotton. With a moan he pushed himself further into Bucky's mouth, until eventually Bucky straightened and let Loki pull him closer as they kissed. The cold of the metal hanging from Bucky's neck stood out in sharp contrast to the warmth of his chest, but before he could grow used to the sensation Bucky pulled them both down to collapse amongst the pillows.

"Do you do this with every guy who ends up in your diner in the middle of the night?" he said once Loki had kicked his clothes from around his ankles and straddled Bucky again to leave more kisses down his chest.

"The vast majority of them are overweight, middle-aged truckers."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat, pal."

Loki had been circling his tongue around Bucky's nipple while Bucky spoke, and he bit down sharply in response, grinning at Bucky's grunt of pain. That would serve him right. The sound quickly gave way to a chuckle, Bucky's chest shaking beneath Loki's mouth as he ran his tongue over the mark, and he rolled them over, pinning Loki's wrists to the mattress with one hand while the other rubbed at his reddened nipple, and he leant forward to give Loki a kiss that left him in no doubt as to what Bucky was ready for.

"Condom?" he said once they'd broken apart.

"Top shelf."

Bucky reached up for the depressingly full box on the shelves above the bed along with a bottle of lube, tossing the bottle to Loki while he slipped on a condom. He watched Loki with lust burning in his eyes as Loki quickly worked himself open, brushing kisses along the inside of Loki's thigh and fuelling his arousal, and when Loki had pulled his hand away Bucky was on his knees between Loki's spread legs. Loki's breath hitched when Bucky lined himself up and, leaning forward to kiss Loki again, pushed inside.

Perhaps it had just been so long since the last time Loki had had sex that his memory of it had dulled, but it felt far softer with Bucky that what he was used to. He entered Loki slowly, each thrust burying just a little bit more of his cock inside Loki's body. But from the way he bit down on Loki's bottom lip when Loki's gasp parted them, there was a definite hint of roughness there. And Loki would try his hardest to bring it out of him before this was over.

As it turned out, though, he wouldn't need to try very hard at all. Once Bucky had sunk into Loki he straightened again, hands on Loki's thighs keeping them upright while his movements gained speed. And not even the rain pelting the trailer could drown out the gasps and moans forcing their way from Loki's lungs when he did. The head of Bucky's dick was brushing Loki's prostate with each thrust; not enough to drive him wild just yet, but the pleasure was steadily building within him, and the bedsheets were already sticking to Loki's back from the sweat on his heated skin.

Bucky seemed to be having a similarly intense reaction himself, his eyes slipping closed and his jaw clenching to try and fight back his moans. "Been a while, has it?" Loki said, and Bucky's eyes snapped open again at the sound of his voice.

"You could say that," he replied. "It was worth the wait, though."

Loki wasn't about to argue with that.

Loki's hands slid down his body while Bucky's thrusts slowed and forced him to savour the feel of his cock dragging in and out of him, giving his own a brief stroke before moving up to graze Bucky's torso. His skin was hot beneath Loki's palms; hotter than Loki's own, despite how much it felt as if he might overheat before Bucky was through with him.

Bucky sucked in a sharp breath as Loki's fingers rubbed over his nipple, the teeth marks still visible around it, and Loki grinned. "Still feeling sensitive?" he said sweetly.

He leant forward and pressed a bruising kiss to Loki's lips in response. "I am, actually," he said. "What, do you file your teeth into points or something?"

"Perhaps I can make it better."

He ducked under Bucky's arm and closed his mouth around Bucky's nipple again, his teeth safely out of the way this time as he laved his tongue over the flesh, tasting the saltiness of sweat on Bucky's skin, and Bucky let out a noise of appreciation above him. Before his thrusts could really pick up speed again, though, Loki rolled them over until he was straddling Bucky's hips. The move left Bucky's dick buried deep enough inside Loki to make him gasp, but he regained his composure quickly enough to brush his hair out of his eyes and look down at Bucky watching him with a crooked, breathless smile.

"You look good on top," he said.

"I know."

Bucky's smile widened in response and he pushed himself up in one swift movement to press his mouth to Loki's neck, lips and tongue and teeth on Loki's skin, his hand on the other side of Loki's neck to hold him in place. As if Loki had any desire to move away. His own hand threaded into Bucky's hair to keep him close in turn and he began to circle his hips again.

Once Bucky had released Loki's neck and dropped back down with an unforgiving creak of mattress springs, Loki moved faster, alternating between grinding into Bucky's hips and simply slamming himself down on Bucky's cock. He was too far gone for finesse. And from the way Bucky's hands were grasping Loki's hips desperately as he thrust up to meet him, so was he.

"I am so glad your car broke down," Loki said before his mouth dropped open into a silent cry of pleasure when Bucky wrapped a hand around his cock.

"God, so am I."

Their movements grew increasingly erratic, all traces of rhythm or control long gone as they rutted against each other chasing the pleasure rapidly building towards its breaking point in them both, and after another few minutes Bucky cried out, his back arching off the mattress and body growing rigid. The sight of him was enough to give Loki that last little push over the edge he needed as well, and he collapsed gracelessly down beside Bucky as his strength abandoned him.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed entwined, sharing sloppy kisses and running their hands over each other's damp skin while they came down from the high of their orgasms, but the rain had finally eased by the time Loki had regained full control of his higher brain functions.

"Shit," he said.

"What is it?"

"I forgot to close up."

Was it really worth bothering to go and close the diner? More than anything Loki felt like simply curling up and going to sleep, and the chances of any more customers dropping by were slim – though if anything happened to the place on Loki's watch Thor would kill him. Reluctantly Loki pushed himself up and rooted around on the floor for his discarded jeans and shoes.

"I'll be back in a minute," he said as he grabbed his coat from atop the nearby stack of boxes, slipping it on over his bare chest before heading out into the night.

Luckily the diner was still empty, yet Loki gave the place a cursory once-over anyway to make sure everything was as it should be. His brother was a fairly difficult person to anger – now he'd matured, at least; in his younger days it was a far different story – though regardless of the fact Loki could handle Thor's wrath, that didn't mean he had any desire to by giving his business even less care than he usually offered. He closed up as fast as he was able and dashed back to the trailer.

The smell of sex was still heavy in the air when Loki stepped inside. Bucky had cleaned himself up in the time Loki was gone, and was sat at the foot of the bed staring out of the window at the last few drops of rain hitting the soaked dirt, just barely illuminated by the light from inside the trailer. He glanced over at Loki with a smile when he made his way to the bed.

"That can't be a very appealing view, surely."

"You're right," Bucky said, turning to face Loki while he shed his clothes again. "This one's better."

Loki shot Bucky a smile of his own and knelt on the mattress beside him to pull him in for another kiss. Their lips didn't stray far from each other's as they pushed themselves back up the bed and slid under the covers.

 

Bucky was up with the sunrise that morning, already dressed and running his fingers through his hair when Loki cracked his eyes open. "I should head out," he said once he'd noticed Loki watching him.

He was a little sad to see Bucky go, actually. Bucky was by far the most interesting person Loki had had the pleasure of crossing paths with since even before he'd left Manhattan – to say nothing of his skill in bed. Life in this town would probably seem even more miserable once Bucky left it.

But Loki wasn't about to ask him to stay. This had never been anything more than a one-night stand, and given how upside down everything else was in Loki's life, he didn't have any interest in something more right now.

Loki nodded and climbed out of bed, slipping his underwear back on before showing Bucky to the door. "Well thank you for lighting up a very dull night."

Bucky offered him a bright smile in return. "My pleasure," he said. "And who knows, maybe I'll see you around again. I might have to swing back through these parts sometime."

Oh how he'd love for that to be a promise. He knew better than to get his hopes up, though.

With one last deep kiss Bucky climbed out onto the still-wet dirt outside the trailer. "Bye, Loki."

"Goodbye, Bucky."

Loki watched Bucky make his way towards the road, grinning when Bucky glanced over his shoulder at him as he headed back out of Loki's life the same way he'd come strolling into it.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been six months, almost to the day, since that night in his brother's diner. Loki had spared it little thought since, aside from the occasional lonely night when his mind would wander back to the rain-drenched stranger with the name Loki had almost forgotten as his hand slipped below the bedcovers. He'd never expected that he would cross paths with the man again.

He'd been back in New York City for about ten weeks, in an apartment in Midtown that was embarrassingly small compared to the one he'd given up the year before, but the fact that this one wasn't financed by father dearest more than made up for the reduction in square footage. His father didn't even know Loki was back in town – though he would certainly find out about it when it came to his brother's 21st birthday dinner in a few days' time, the first time the entire family would be together after almost a year. It was sure to be an eventful occasion.

The thought of it had driven Loki out in an attempt to distract himself from the dread in his stomach. He worked his way through the crowds in the packed bar, eyes scanning the booths and tables littering the room in search of a blond head towering over everybody else, and he found it a moment later at a table pushed up against the wall.

Thor looked up with a mild smile when Loki hopped onto the stool opposite him. "Balder's offended that we went out without him," he announced rather than bother with a greeting while Loki took a sip of the gin and tonic sat on the table waiting for him.

"Tell him we'll take him out when he sprouts his first chest hair."

Thor laughed into his drink at that and picked up his phone again to relay the message. Loki could imagine the foul-mouthed response he'd get. "It took you longer to get here than I thought it would," Thor said as he typed. "You sounded desperate to get out on the phone."

"Traffic," Loki shrugged.

"I still don't see why I couldn't have stayed at yours rather than having to splash out on a hotel."

"You could have stayed with father and Balder; I'm sure they have plenty of room." He raised his glass to his lips as he spoke and swallowed down a long mouthful. And he'd need plenty more unless they changed the topic of conversation soon.

"I think I would prefer to face as little scorn as possible this visit," Thor said, pulling a face at the mere thought of spending the week in their father's company.

"Oh, what scorn? You're the golden boy, Thor. 'He who can do no wrong.'"

If there was a hint of bitterness in Loki's tone, Thor was good enough to pretend not to notice. Instead he glanced down as his phone lit up with another text message, grinning at Balder's reply while Loki finished his drink.

"Apart from choosing to live my own life, it seems," he said when he met Loki's eyes again. "Father still hopes I'll come around on the subject of taking over the company."

"Of course he does." Loki set his empty glass down on the table. "I need another drink."

"Make it two."

Loki nodded and snaked through the groups of people milling about to join the gaggle at the bar. Ordinarily he'd hate being jostled to and fro by strangers invading his personal space, but he was still just too glad to be back among civilisation to be bothered by it. When he reached the cool metal countertop he ended up somewhat too close for comfort to a man who looked maddeningly familiar, though for the life of him Loki couldn't place him.

It wasn't an altogether unusual scenario in the city, he supposed. They probably caught the same train to work each morning. He shrugged it off and gave his order to the bartender, but when he glanced back in the man's direction his eyes were on Loki, a light frown on his face as if he recognised Loki as well.

"Okay, I have an odd question," he said after a moment, and Loki twisted to give him his full attention, out of curiosity more than anything. "But you didn't happen to work in a diner across the country about six months back, did you?"

Of course. Loki laughed in disbelief as the realisation hit him. "Bucky?" His face split into a grin in response. "What are the chances?"

"Crazy, right?" The bartender returned with Loki's drinks, but as Loki reached for his wallet Bucky shooed his hand away. "Here, let me. I owe you one."

"I think you've more than made up for getting a free meal from me," he said with a smile.

"Well maybe you can find a way to pay me back for these – if you're interested, that is." Oh, Loki was most definitely interested. Spending another night with Bucky would be an even better distraction than Loki could have hoped for. "You're not seeing anybody, are you?"

"Would it bother you if I was?"

Bucky shrugged. He seemed to be genuinely deliberating his answer to the question. "I don't want to be a homewrecker," he said.

How noble of him. Loki couldn't say he'd have the same concerns.

"Then aren't you lucky? I'm not seeing anyone." Loki replied, and Bucky's face lit up. His smile was infectious.

Loki took a step back to take in the sight of him. Bucky's hair was a few inches longer than he remembered, a healthy tan on his skin that not even the pale blue lights above the bar casting an unnatural glow over them could mask, and he filled out the t-shirt he was wearing just as nicely as he had done the last time they'd seen each other. "You look good."

"Yeah, you too." Bucky's eyes fell to the drinks on the countertop in front of Loki. "You're here with people?"

"Just my brother. He won't mind if I abandon him. Are you?"

He nodded. "My roommate's girlfriend went back to England for a couple of months this morning, so we thought we'd bring him out to take his mind off of how miserable he'll be 'til she gets back. But just let me get rid of these, then I'm all yours." He gestured to the few bottles of beer in his hands as he spoke and Loki followed him away from the bar.

"What a considerate friend you are."

"Well not that much, if I'm about to ditch him," he replied with a smile and a shrug. "I'll make it up to him tomorrow."

Bucky rounded the corner of the bar to rejoin his friends while Loki carried straight on towards Thor's table. He almost knocked over Thor's drink in his rush to drop it off at the table and leave again.

"Okay, I'll see you on Wednesday, Thor," he said quickly. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

Thor blinked, blindsided by Loki's sudden appearance and the liquid sloshing over his fingers. "What?" He didn't need to wait for Loki to explain to realise what was going on. "Oh," he said, rolling his eyes. "Be careful."

"I always am," Loki called over his shoulder while he made his way back towards Bucky.

He was heading back across the room to meet Loki when Loki spotted him, and he smiled as he looked up to meet Loki's eyes. Loki jerked his head in the direction of the bar and Bucky followed, and they settled in on the two empty stools in a quiet spot at the end of the counter.

"Your friends were all right with you leaving them?" Loki said.

"Well I didn't exactly tell them I was ditching them to go hang out with a guy I had a one-night stand with half a year ago," replied Bucky with a grin as he took a sip of his drink. "Said I ran into an old friend; they seemed okay with it."

Before Loki could reply he spotted Thor working his way through the crowd. He caught sight of Loki after a moment and gave a brief wave as he headed towards the exit.

"So are you just in town visiting?"

"No, I'm back," Loki said, trying his best to keep some of his elation at the thought out of his tone. "I just couldn't keep away, I suppose."

"Small-town life's not all it's cracked up to be?"

"Definitely not."

Bucky laughed in response. "Your brother's back as well?"

"He is just visiting," replied Loki. "It's our younger brother's birthday in a few days."

Bucky had been raising his bottle to his lips again while Loki spoke, but something in Loki's tone caused him to arch an eyebrow. "Looks like you aren't looking forward to it all that much," he said as he set his drink back down without bothering to take a sip.

"My father has yet to find out that I'm living here again."

"How long have you been back?"

"A couple of months."

Bucky laughed again at that, and Loki wished he could hear the sound more clearly over the music. "I'd love to be a fly on the wall during that reunion."

"Well perhaps if you and I bump into each other again in another six months I'll tell you all about it."

"I'll look forward to it."

He raised his bottle as he spoke and Loki lifted his own glass to tap against it, the soft clink drowned out by a burst of loud conversation from the group standing behind Bucky, and the pair both took a sip of their drinks. "What about you?" Loki said. "How was the rest of your trip?"

"Pretty good. Saw the Grand Canyon – that was cool. I wouldn't say it was the highlight of my trip, though," he added, his voice low and a grin spreading across his face. His eyes flicked to Loki's lips as he spoke, but just as they were about to lean in together a large hand clapped Bucky's shoulder and his head shot up to stare at the blond man standing over the pair.

"Hey, Buck," he said, seemingly oblivious to what he'd interrupted, "we're going to head back to Sam's; you coming?"

"You know, it's getting kinda late," Bucky started, while Loki sipped his drink and tried not to look too put out by Bucky's friends' disturbance. Though he had managed to survive six months without Bucky; he could wait another few minutes.

The other man at Bucky's friend's shoulder – Sam, Loki presumed – eyed Loki before his gaze flicked back to Bucky, a knowing look on his face. "Yeah, I bet you want to get straight to bed," he said.

Bucky fought to suppress a smile in response.

"Come on, Steve, let's leave him to it. Have a good night." He shot them a wink over his shoulder as he steered Steve towards the door.

"Fun friends you have there," Loki said once they'd disappeared out of sight.

"Yeah, they're a pain in the ass. But he's not wrong." Bucky downed the last mouthful of his drink and turned to Loki, his eyes boring into him. "You want to get out of here?"

Loki gulped down the rest of his own drink in turn. "Definitely."

Twenty minutes later Loki was fumbling to unlock his apartment door – a feat made all the more challenging by Bucky's lips on his neck and his hands sliding down Loki's sides. It was all they could do just to keep their hands to themselves during the cab ride back to Loki's building. Evidently they had lost time to make up for.

After what felt like an age Loki had the door open, and the moment they were inside Bucky slammed Loki back against the nearest wall with enough force to knock the air out of Loki's lungs. His mouth was on Loki's before he could catch his breath.

"God, am I glad I ran into you again," he said between kisses.

"Missed me, have you?"

Bucky smiled against his lips. "Little bit. Have you thought about me since?"

Loki didn't reply, though the grin he couldn't fully repress probably spoke for itself. And Bucky clearly took it as a good sign; in the next moment his hand was slipping between their bodies to offer some much-needed pressure against Loki's cock. But only for a moment, before he moved to work open Loki's jeans while Loki returned the favour.

"Bed?" Loki said as he moved to leave a trail of kisses along Bucky's jawbone.

He pulled away from Bucky's skin to see him nod vigorously, and Loki dragged him around the corner, ignoring the pile of unread mail he swept off the sideboard onto the floor with the movement, and through the open door into the bedroom.

The light seeping in through the window wasn't nearly enough to illuminate the room, but still Loki and Bucky couldn't take their eyes off each other as they hastily undressed. Once they had, Bucky pulled Loki down until he was kneeling over Bucky's lap and their mouths were on one another's again. Though before Loki could close his eyes and lose himself in the kiss, a flash of colour caught his eye, and he pulled back to get a better look at the large red star tattooed on Bucky's upper arm.

"Is this new?" he said, his fingers tracing over the outline of the tattoo. He'd have thought he'd remember a detail like that if Bucky had had it the first night they spent together – unless he'd just been so caught up in his lust he hadn't noticed.

"Yeah. You like it?"

Loki replied by pressing a kiss to the centre of the star. "Turn over," he said once he'd straightened again.

He stood while Bucky moved to lie on his stomach with a grin, and flicked on the light sitting on top of his bedside table to quickly root through his drawers for a condom and lube. The instant he'd found them he was back on Bucky, straddling his body while he kissed his way over Bucky's shoulder blade towards his spine, his cock nestled against Bucky's behind.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about this since we last saw each other."

Loki smiled into the firm muscles of Bucky's back. It was a relief to hear he wasn't the only one who had. "What do you do when you think about it?" he said, peering up through his lashes to see Bucky gazing back over his shoulder at him.

"Guess."

Now that was a sight Loki would love to witness. The thought of it spurred him on, sinking lower until his hands reached Bucky's cheeks to spread them open and his tongue flicked out over Bucky's entrance.

"Fuck," Bucky gasped above him, his thighs tensing on either side of Loki's body.

But Loki didn't give him a moment to adjust to the sensation. His tongue slipped over the muscle again; circling it, adding just enough pressure to keep from pushing inside while Bucky moaned desperately and pushed back against him. And his reactions only gained intensity when Loki dragged his thumb over the head of Bucky's dick, already leaking against the mattress between his legs.

Loki's own cock was almost as hard as Bucky's and begging for him to just flatten himself against the mattress and roll his hips for a little bit of friction, but he stayed focused on Bucky, as difficult as that was becoming. It would be worth it when Loki was inside him.

He pulled back, glancing up at Bucky still watching over his shoulder through lidded eyes, his lips bitten red and his hair mussed where his head had been pressed into the pillows. He looked positively sinful. But Loki wasn't finished with him yet. One hand stretching out for the lube tossed somewhere on the bed, Loki grazed his teeth over the smooth skin of Bucky's backside before biting down playfully as he slicked up his fingers. He didn't have the patience to spend too long preparing him, but luckily neither did Bucky, pushing back and fucking himself on Loki's fingers as his breathing grew even harsher. He let out a shaking gasp of relief when Loki withdrew his fingers and retrieved a condom.

A thick silence settled over the room between that moment and the one Loki lined himself up and pushed inside Bucky. Bucky was the first to break it, with a soft moan, his eyes falling closed and lips parting as Loki sunk into him, though once he had, any hopes of Loki remaining quiet himself quickly disappeared.

Oh, he was tight – tighter than anyone Loki could remember fucking in a good long while. Maybe he could have done with Loki spending longer working him open, though from the sounds he was making as Loki began to thrust into him, Bucky didn't have any complaints. He pushed himself up on all fours to meet each of Loki's movements, taking Loki in deeper until they both groaned.

"Is that good?" Loki said. He had to dig his fingernails into Bucky's hips to keep himself from pulling back and slamming all the way into him again. In the lamplight he could see beads of sweat trickling down his stomach towards where his and Bucky's bodies met, his heart pounding in his chest now his movements had stilled for the moment.

"Yeah," Bucky gasped. "Keep going."

Loki resumed his pace, his hands sliding from Bucky's hips up his sides as he leant forward, draping himself over Bucky's back to leave kisses littering his shoulders and neck before Bucky turned to press his own lips against Loki's. His teeth clamped down on Loki's bottom lip and despite the flash of pain, Loki grinned in response.

"You never told me what else you've been up to since I last saw you," Bucky said once he'd released Loki's lip.

"Nothing nearly as fun as this, I can assure you." Though even if he had, he wasn't sure he'd be able to remember it in that moment. All he could think about was the heat of Bucky's body pressed against his; the sound of their heavy breathing and moans of pleasure filling the air; the feel of Bucky's muscles clenching around him. "You?"

"Same," Bucky said with a laugh. The sound turned into a groan as Loki curled an arm under Bucky's body to briefly tease his nipple between his fingertips.

With his hand still pressed against Bucky's chest, Loki straightened and pulled Bucky up with him, holding him tight against Loki's body while his other hand slid through the perspiration covering Bucky's torso to reach for his erection. And if the noises he'd been dragging out of Bucky so far had been fuelling his arousal, it was nothing compared to what the moan that slipped through Bucky's lips when Loki tightened his grip and began to stroke did to him. The sound went straight to Loki's cock, and his hips snapped forward of their own accord; not even thrusting anymore so much as just grinding into Bucky in his desperate need for more.

Bucky's hand snaked into Loki's hair to hold him close. "If any of your neighbours are still awake, we're giving them one hell of a show," he said.

Loki grinned against Bucky's skin at that as his eyes flicked to the window in front of them. "Perhaps they'll learn a thing or two."

He glanced back at Bucky in time to see a smile of his own spread across his face before he twisted to steal another kiss, his fingers tightening in Loki's hair, threatening to tug the strands from the roots and pulling a low groan from Loki. It wasn't long before he could feel his body begin to tense, his climax growing ever closer, and his hand moved faster on Bucky's dick until they both came within seconds of each other.

As much as he would have liked to stay pressed against Bucky's body, Loki's thighs gave up on supporting him any longer and he dropped back to sit on his heels while Bucky sank forward and looked over his shoulder at him. "Was it that good last time?" he said breathlessly.

"I don't know," Loki replied while he pushed his hair back from his face. "It was awfully good."

With some difficulty he climbed off the bed and crossed the room to snatch up the towel that was draped over the radiator, wiping himself clean before turning back to the bed where Bucky had flopped onto his back and sprawled out. He didn't look remotely out of place among the blankets in Loki's bedroom.

But he didn't dwell on that thought. Instead he made his way back to the bed and tossed the towel to Bucky, chuckling at his half-hearted attempt to catch it while he settled in on the mattress next to him. At the feel of something cold against his skin Loki dug Bucky's I.D. tags from where they were pressed between their arms and turned them over in his fingers.

"Why do people call you Bucky if your name is James?" he said, though the tired haze beckoning him to sleep did make it somewhat more difficult to get the words out.

Bucky's hand curled around Loki's, his thumb pulling Loki's back to reveal the indent of a 'B.' next to the rest of his name. "My middle name's Buchanan."

"You don't like James?"

"I like it fine," he replied with a shrug. "When I was a kid I knew about four other boys called James, so it was just easier to go by Bucky. Guess it stuck." A long yawn swallowed up the end of his sentence and Loki smiled.

"Go to sleep," he said, reaching over to switch off the light while Bucky climbed under the bedcovers. Loki joined him once Bucky had made himself comfortable, and seemingly the moment he'd curled against Bucky's warm skin he was waking again with a start at the sound of his alarm cutting through the blissful silence of the room in the morning.

Goddammit. On an ordinary day Loki would resent himself for forgetting to turn off his alarm when he didn't need to be awake early, so after the night he'd had? He'd kick himself if he had the energy to move yet. He cursed and pounded the snooze button with more force than was really necessary, rolling back over to see Bucky stirring in bed beside him.

"Sorry about that," he said when Bucky opened his eyes.

"Don't worry about it."

He still looked more unconscious than awake as he spoke; his eyes barely open and body stiff when he attempted to move it. If they curled up again and returned to sleep they could probably get another couple of hours' rest before the day really began. It looked like Bucky could do with it, and Loki certainly wouldn't mind himself. Though before he could suggest it, the realisation struck that he had been about to ask Bucky to stay longer rather than unceremoniously telling him to leave. That was... well, he wasn't sure that had ever actually happened before. Usually Loki's acquaintances didn't even stick around until the morning, and usually Loki was more than happy for it to stay that way.

"What is it?" Bucky said with a sleepy frown when he noticed Loki watching him. "Do I have bed hair?"

"No – well yes, actually. It's just strange to be waking up next to someone."

"It doesn't happen often?"

"Not since the last time you and I shared a bed."

"Wow, I feel kind of honoured." He pushed himself up to sit facing Loki as he stretched his arms above his head and yawned, his muscles rippling beneath his skin with the movement. "Hey, since we're up, you wanna grab some breakfast?"

Loki studied him for a moment, a tiny smile working at the corner of his lips while Bucky rubbed at his messy hair and gazed back down at him. What the hell? He had already had more than one wild night with this handsome stranger. Maybe there'd be more to come.

"I'd love to."


End file.
